Chuck’s Record Collection:

From 1980: “Winners”

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It’s impossible to tell the story of the journey of popular music from the 1970s into the 1980s without referencing Frankie Crocker.

An industry standout for his work as radio programmer and disc jockey at WBLS in New York, Crocker became synonymous with the development of “urban contemporary” radio.

As such, it’s fitting that a “K-tel-style” compilation he produced, “Winners,” captures that moment:

When the energy of disco begins to fracture into glossy R&B and smooth jazz, the black adult contemporary sound of “quiet storm,” and the mass-appeal songs that manage to triumph over pop radio’s post-disco segregation. (What “Winners” doesn’t include is rap; despite the emergence of “Rapper’s Delight,” it may have been too early to know whether that sound would grow beyond its youthful base.)

Like “A Night at Studio 54,” reviewed a while back,“Winners” was a TV-promoted release via I&M Teleproducts.

Created by Ira Pittelman and Morris Levy, the label was a low-key rival of K-tel and Ronco.

(If K-tel and Ronco were the M&M’s and Reese’s Pieces of music compilations, I&M would be … Skittles?)

“Winners” is as much an artifact of marketing as it is music.

Its cover illustration of women of color clearly targets black consumers in an era when compilation albums tended to feature generic designs or – as in the case of K-tel’s “Right On!” or Ronco’s “Disco Super Hits” – photos or illustrations of white people.

As with most compilations, its cover copy could have benefited from a copy-edit.

In this case, “Do You Love What You Feel” is misattributed on the back to Rufus and Chaka “Kahn” rather than “Khan.” And even though by the time of this LP’s release in 1980, Ray Parker Jr. was getting his own lead credit, that wasn’t the case on the 1979 track “You Can’t Change That,” included here but attributed to “Ray Parker & Raydio.”

Nevertheless, “Winners” is aptly named. Four of its 15 tracks:

  • The Commodores’ “Still,”
  • Shalamar’s “The Second Time Around,”
  • Ray, Goodman & Brown’s “Special Lady,”
  • and Rufus & Chaka’s “Do You Love What You Feel”
  • all hit No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B charts.

Like those four, nine other tracks crossed over to the pop Top 40. And the only two selections not to do so still made the Hot 100:

  • Carrie Lucas’ “Dance With You” (#70, 1979)
  • and Teddy Pendergrass’ “Turn Off the Lights” (#48, 1979).

Side A, noted as “specially sequenced for dancing,” does a fine job not just of keeping people on the floor but also stylistically linking the disco dazzle of The Jacksons’ “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” or Isaac Hayes’ “Don’t Let Go” to the funk of “Do You Love What You Feel” and the chirpy R&B of Shalamar’s “The Second Time Around.” It’s a joy to listen to.

Anyone familiar with my regular defense of adult contemporary music might be surprised to hear me say this, but Side B fell a bit flat.

I fell asleep while listening to this side, only to be jolted awake by the “dun-dun, DUN-DUN” of Dionne Warwick’s “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” closing the side out.

I had wondered why Crocker hadn’t picked the likelier jazz/R&B cut “Déjà Vu” to represent Warwick.

But maybe he, too, sensed the inherent drama of Warwick’s comeback hit over the sultrier mood of her follow-up.

“For the record, Chuck: I already knew that you were going to say that.”

The songs on Side B were too much of a mellow thing, intentionally subset so that Side A could cook. Maybe listeners used Side B to slow dance and, shall we say, shift the mood? (I just went from A to zzzzz……)

With no real “yuck” tracks here, I’ll close with how I would have balanced these fast and slow “Winners.”

Side 1:

  • Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”
  • “Dance With You”
  • Kool and the Gang’s “Too Hot”
  • “Do You Love What You Feel”
  • “Don’t Let Go”
  • “Special Lady” 
  • “Turn Off the Lights”
  • Smokey Robinson’s “Cruisin’”

Side 2:

  • “The Second Time Around
  • The Whispers’ “And the Beat Goes On”
  • GQ’s “I Do Love You”
  • The Spinners’ “Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me Girl” 
  • “You Can’t Change That”
  • The Commodores’ “Still”
  • “I’ll Never Love This Way Again”

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Chuck Small

Journalist-turned-high school counselor. Happily ensconced in Raleigh, N.C., with hubby of 32 years (10 legal).

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mt58
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mt58
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May 8, 2023 8:07 am

In the late 70s and early 80s, a lot of cities had their own version of Frankie Crocker.

In Boston, it was a guy named Sunny Joe White. In 1979. He pitched the idea that a full-time disco station would be profitable

His programming skills helped to catapult a former sleepy beautiful music station into a legacy broadcaster, WXKS- FM. Known to this day as Kiss 108.

Last edited 1 year ago by mt58
LinkCrawford
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May 8, 2023 11:36 am
Reply to  mt58

Interesting. WIKS (Kiss 99) became a full-time disco station in Indianapolis in late 78/early 79. Only one call letter different, and both with the Kiss nickname. I wonder if they were related? By the end of 1979, Kiss 99 became “The New Rock”, and was one of the most influential stations of my life for a year or so. They mixed pop/rock with classic rock, but not too heavy. Loved it.

Virgindog
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May 8, 2023 10:24 am

I’m going to have to look up most of these songs. I’m sure I’ve heard them, just don’t recognize the titles.

That Spinners song though? 10/10.

thegue
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May 8, 2023 11:09 am
Reply to  Virgindog

Just had a conversation this morning about the Spinners song, and what seemed to be a popular trend at the time.

The Spinners’ two big singles from 1979/80 were medleys/mashups, as was Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love”. Were there others? I couldn’t think of any offhand.

Virgindog
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May 8, 2023 11:42 am
Reply to  thegue

The only other one I can come up with is Will To Power’s Baby, I Love Your Way / Freebird Medley (Free Baby)” but that wasn’t until 1988.

LinkCrawford
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May 8, 2023 5:05 pm
Reply to  Virgindog

Well…lets not forget Stars on 45. And then there’s Hooked on Classics.

JJ Live At Leeds
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May 8, 2023 3:03 pm
Reply to  thegue

Even further down the line than Vdogs suggestion in 1991 is Pet Shop Boys melding of U2 with Boystown Gang for Where The Streets Have No Names / I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. To which Bono responded with the statement ‘What have we done to deserve this?’

From 1990 Robert Palmer covered two Marvin Gaye songs in one go combining Mercy Mercy Me / I Want You – his final UK Top hit.

Phylum of Alexandria
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May 8, 2023 4:09 pm
Reply to  thegue

The Human League did a medley of Gary Glitter’s “Rock n Roll” and Iggy Pop’s “Nightclubbing” in 1980. Amusing, but it didn’t chart.

thegue
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thegue
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May 8, 2023 11:07 am

STOP IT!!!

That Side B is GOLD, JERRY, GOLD!!!

  1. That Spinners track was the first 45 I ever bought. 99 cents, still remember the orange Atlantic label.
  2. That Whispers song is one of my favorite disco tracks ever.
  3. Shalamar’s “Second Time Around” was a dance favorite at the 1970s disco-themed party we threw.
  4. I know Ray Parker Jr received some grief for his adulterous themed lyrics, but this one hit the spot.
  5. I completely agree with you about Warwick, but I’d go a step further: I wouldn’t have included any of her songs on ANY compilation…but as pointed out above, she probably already knew that.
  6. My stepmother loved Dionne, so I’m sure my therapist will look into it.
LinkCrawford
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May 8, 2023 11:33 am

My sweet spot for the Top 40 is 1978-1982, and I approve of nearly everything on this album.

All-timers for me:
“You Can’t Change That” by Raydio is Ray Parker Jr.’s best song.
“Don’t Let Go” by Isaac Hayes is also a 10/10, and one that I didn’t know the name or artist for about 15 years. It was a complete A-HA! moment when I figured it out.
“Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” is one of my favorite Jacksons songs.
“Special Lady” by RGB is sweet.

Despite “Still” being the downer point of the album, I’d play that whole thing!

Phylum of Alexandria
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May 8, 2023 2:09 pm
Reply to  LinkCrawford

Agreed on “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground).” It’s an overlooked gem in MJ’s catalog.

cappiethedog
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May 8, 2023 2:23 pm
Reply to  LinkCrawford

“Still” is depressing. I wonder if Lionel Richie knew that. And wrote the epic “Truly”. I had to read Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” in college. “Betrayal” is a love story told in reverse, starting with dissolvement and ending in thrall. If they remade “Betrayal” with an African-American cast, that’s how you would soundtrack the movie.

cappiethedog
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May 8, 2023 6:55 pm
Reply to  cstolliver

Pretty cool. My mom had the cassette. She just played “Still”. She also had Melissa Manchester’s Greatest Hits, but she only played “Midnight Blue”. I didn’t know “Sail On” was on the same album.

“Sail On” sounds a lot more mature than “Truly”. And would be the better match for my off-the-cuff Harold Pinter shout-out. My professor showed us the film adaptation. I remember him complaining about Leonard Maltin’s one-star review. The next day, I brought in my copy of Maltin’s movie guide, and pointed to the two-star “Taxi Driver” review. And he said: “Okay. That’s worse.”

irishbeartx
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May 10, 2023 3:02 am

Santana’s “Winning”, from 1981, is a 7. Apropos of nothing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48zCeNXRapM

Last edited 1 year ago by irishbeartx
cappiethedog
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May 10, 2023 3:36 am
Reply to  irishbeartx

Not to diss your guarded appreciation of “Winning”, but I want to share this tidbit I read about the song. The guys from Ween love Santana. But they’re not fans of “Winning”. I’m quoting Dean from memory: “I love everything Carlos Santana ever wrote except for “Winning”. “Winning” sucks.”

One of the Stereogum OGs had a pretty good take on Ween. He wrote that Ween is the flipside of They Might Be Giants. The latter is for the nerds. And the former is for the jocks.

That makes sense because I totally don’t get Ween.

irishbeartx
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May 10, 2023 3:40 am
Reply to  cappiethedog

I’ve never forgiven Ween for “Push th’ Little Daisies”, so we’re even.

Aaron3000
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May 10, 2023 9:57 pm
Reply to  cappiethedog

Maybe they were peeved because it wasn’t called “Weening”.

cappiethedog
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May 12, 2023 2:21 am
Reply to  Aaron3000

Oh, gosh. All these years. I never saw the potential for this pun.

Chocolate and Cheese has “Voodoo Lady”. That’s a fun song.

“Push th’ Little Daisies” hasn’t aged well.

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